Just like the season, Bucs let chance slip away

Published: Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 9:52 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 9:52 p.m.

The fans that hung over the entrance to Tampa Bay’s tunnel clapped their hands, a signal for Buc players to toss up gloves, hand towels or anything else deemed unnecessary.

But the one thing they coveted most, a victory Sunday in the season finale at Raymond James Stadium, had long since passed through Tampa Bay’s fingers.

Slippery little devil, this 2013 season.

The sea of red began its exit from Ray Jay with four minutes, 27 seconds remaining, mere moments after Phil Dawson’s 21-yard field goal put the 49ers up 23-14, capping a 17-play, 77-yard drive on which the Bucs had to make one of two plays.

Simply had to. They simply did not.

A 14-yard completion from San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree on third-and-12. A 10-yard Kaepernick scramble on third-and-six.

Both were like the part of the movie when the guy’s resigned to not getting the girl.

More times than he cares to recall this season, Tampa Bay’s Greg Schiano has been this guy.

“We had opportunities, without a doubt, to stop them and we didn’t do it,’’ said the Bucs’ head coach. “That’s what it boils down to.’’

Certainly, that was part of the reason the Bucs weren’t able to win their fourth straight at home, weren’t able, once again, to beat a quality opponent, weren’t able to permanently silence the chatter of whether Schiano’s office at One Buc Place will be occupied by someone else in time for 2014.

But it was just part. When you rush for 39 yards, you deserve to lose. When you miss tackles, allowing a 5-yard gain to become 15, you deserve to lose. When you stitch together two scoring drives totaling 172 yards, yet gain just 11 on your 10 other possessions, you deserve to lose.

You read that correctly. On four drives, the Bucs garnered negative yardage.

“We’re just not performing at a consistent enough level now,’’ Schiano said. “It’s not from a lack of effort, a lack of work, a lack of any of that stuff. These guys are laying it on the line, coaches and players alike. We’re just not getting the results that we want all the time.’’

So the Bucs end their 2013 home season with a 3-5 mark, bookended by a 16-14 loss to the Saints back in September, and Sunday’s 33-14 loss to the 49ers. Feel free to speculate just how much the Bucs have improved in between the two.

But if anything can be gleaned after 14 games, it’s that the Bucs can hang with and beat the Cardinals, Jaguars, Titans and Redskins of the NFL hierarchy.

What they cannot do is defeat a team such as the Panthers, home or road, or a 49ers club fighting for a playoff spot, quarterbacked by someone whose athletic gifts were stuffed not in a Christmas stocking, but directly down Tampa Bay’s throats.

You ever see anyone insert a dagger using his feet? You did if you observed the 49ers’ Kaepernick.

“Who can make those plays?’’ asked San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh. “He can make them, and he made them (Sunday).’’

Said Bucs safety and former 49er Dashon Goldson, “He was as dangerous with his feet as he was with his arm.’’

Schiano had praise for rookie quarterback Mike Glennon, but it’s clear he needs to be surrounded with more weapons, better weapons. He has no true deep threat, and if Tiquan Underwood, a wonderful person, is your second option, your options are limited.

The Bucs need Doug Martin. They need Mike Williams. They probably need another offensive lineman, and an entire offseason for Glennon to master his offense.

That’s for later. Not Sunday.

“The other team beat us,’’ Schiano said, “and we have to find a way to be on the other end of that.’’

<p>TAMPA</p><p>The fans that hung over the entrance to Tampa Bay's tunnel clapped their hands, a signal for Buc players to toss up gloves, hand towels or anything else deemed unnecessary.</p><p>But the one thing they coveted most, a victory Sunday in the season finale at Raymond James Stadium, had long since passed through Tampa Bay's fingers.</p><p>Slippery little devil, this 2013 season.</p><p>The sea of red began its exit from Ray Jay with four minutes, 27 seconds remaining, mere moments after Phil Dawson's 21-yard field goal put the 49ers up 23-14, capping a 17-play, 77-yard drive on which the Bucs had to make one of two plays.</p><p>Simply had to. They simply did not.</p><p>A 14-yard completion from San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree on third-and-12. A 10-yard Kaepernick scramble on third-and-six.</p><p>Both were like the part of the movie when the guy's resigned to not getting the girl.</p><p>More times than he cares to recall this season, Tampa Bay's Greg Schiano has been this guy.</p><p>“We had opportunities, without a doubt, to stop them and we didn't do it,'' said the Bucs' head coach. “That's what it boils down to.''</p><p>Certainly, that was part of the reason the Bucs weren't able to win their fourth straight at home, weren't able, once again, to beat a quality opponent, weren't able to permanently silence the chatter of whether Schiano's office at One Buc Place will be occupied by someone else in time for 2014.</p><p>But it was just part. When you rush for 39 yards, you deserve to lose. When you miss tackles, allowing a 5-yard gain to become 15, you deserve to lose. When you stitch together two scoring drives totaling 172 yards, yet gain just 11 on your 10 other possessions, you deserve to lose.</p><p>You read that correctly. On four drives, the Bucs garnered negative yardage.</p><p>“We're just not performing at a consistent enough level now,'' Schiano said. “It's not from a lack of effort, a lack of work, a lack of any of that stuff. These guys are laying it on the line, coaches and players alike. We're just not getting the results that we want all the time.''</p><p>So the Bucs end their 2013 home season with a 3-5 mark, bookended by a 16-14 loss to the Saints back in September, and Sunday's 33-14 loss to the 49ers. Feel free to speculate just how much the Bucs have improved in between the two.</p><p>But if anything can be gleaned after 14 games, it's that the Bucs can hang with and beat the Cardinals, Jaguars, Titans and Redskins of the NFL hierarchy.</p><p>What they cannot do is defeat a team such as the Panthers, home or road, or a 49ers club fighting for a playoff spot, quarterbacked by someone whose athletic gifts were stuffed not in a Christmas stocking, but directly down Tampa Bay's throats.</p><p>You ever see anyone insert a dagger using his feet? You did if you observed the 49ers' Kaepernick.</p><p>“Who can make those plays?'' asked San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh. “He can make them, and he made them (Sunday).''</p><p>Said Bucs safety and former 49er Dashon Goldson, “He was as dangerous with his feet as he was with his arm.''</p><p>Schiano had praise for rookie quarterback Mike Glennon, but it's clear he needs to be surrounded with more weapons, better weapons. He has no true deep threat, and if Tiquan Underwood, a wonderful person, is your second option, your options are limited.</p><p>The Bucs need Doug Martin. They need Mike Williams. They probably need another offensive lineman, and an entire offseason for Glennon to master his offense.</p><p>That's for later. Not Sunday.</p><p>“The other team beat us,'' Schiano said, “and we have to find a way to be on the other end of that.''</p><p>His club gets two more chances, at St. Louis and New Orleans.</p><p>The Bucs had a chance Sunday.</p><p>Until they didn't.</p>